Kitchen Beautician: Luxorious Lather

Splish splash! One of the nicest things you can do for yourself is just relax. I’ve had a pretty busy time this week and always need a minute of down time to purely rejuvenate. Taking a milk bath is one of the oldest tricks in the book. In fact, it’s claimed to be a favourite of Cleopatra + Queen Elizabeth… and we all know how glamourous they were! Milk baths are amazing for a few of reasons. First, milk contains lactic acids + alpha hydroxy acids. These break-up the “glue” that keeps dead skin on your body. Soaking in a milk bath followed by a quick rinse in the shower can eliminate a lot of dead skin with very little effort. Second, it contains vitamins A + D which are skin softening. And last but not least, you can switch it up and use any kind- soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or goats milk which are all beneficial to your skin’s health in different ways.


It’s easy to create your own version of this ancient favourite. Here’s my know how…


Pour one half gallon of Vitamin D milk into your drawn bath water. Fill a fabric satchel or pouch with chamomile tea and lavender pieces and tie it up tight. Let that soak with water. It’s like a big tea bag. Last, for an amazing fragrance, float a couple of gardenias on the surface. The steam will bring out the scent. You can add bubbles if you want. But most important, relax + enjoy.

Happy Relaxing!

Saskia XO

LONDON 2012: Olympic Games

Well it's here. What more can I say?! After 7 long years of preparation, hard work and effort, the day to open the games is finally here!
It will be the 30th Olympic Games officially started in London, England today with expectations of 1bn people worldwide expected to watch as the spectacular opening ceremony kicks off!





LET THE GAMES BEGIN!


Will you be getting patriotic Britain??!!


Saskia XO

Easy Breasy Summer Hair

Personally, I've always thought that nothing says summer better than easy breasy tosseld tassles (a.k.a. cute wind-in-the-hair summer fancies). 

Recently, my favourites have been manipulating the essential 'plait' or 'braid' and the traditional 'bun'. Although, volumised, beach babe loose wavy hair screams Cali Girl (which is a style that most of us automatically associate with summer), there are sleeker more refined ways to look effortlessly hot this summer...plus, you will be surprised to know that these sleek up-do's require less product than the 'messy look' ("no!", you say?!!) 

So my message: this summer, be sure to try out one of these amazing styles (using inspiration from the images above!)

Will you go sleek this summer?

Saskia XO

Fall in Love with CUTOUTS!

Cutouts sometimes get a bad rap. And understandably so. When worn with 7-inch Lucite heels and a zebra print micro skirt, there’s nothing chic about them. However, when done right, I really love the trend. I particularly love cutouts in unexpected places such as the collarbone area, the shoulders, at the hips of a modest dress or the back of a pretty tunic. In fact, cutouts were a noteworthy trend on the Spring 2012 runways. Designers including Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler and Roland Mouret featured the scissor happy statement on their catwalks solidifying the piecemeal look as a key trend for 2012.

Without further ado, here are a few of my favourite cutout options…

A cutout at the hip is demure yet incredibly sexy in a very understated way. I love how unexpected it is on this chambray dress.

A sliced up neckline is a simple way to embrace this trend without going too far out of your comfort zone. This coral cutout swing top is the perfect summer staple for a night out on the town with friends or even a business meeting when paired with a relaxed linen blazer.

Last but not least, my favourite unexpected cutout is on the back. Make your exit as memorable as your entrance with a dress or blouse with a cutout back. I think this lace cutout mini is perfect for work or play.

So this summer, get scissor handy! I'll be sure to carry out this craze!

Are you going to give this trend a try?

Saskia XO

Beauty Faux Pas: How to Fix a Bad Tan!

So girlies, it's summer. And this usually entails getting those pins out....however, not when they're pasty, or.....streaky!!! Is there anything worse than slathering on some self-tanner only to find (the next day) that you’re personally responsible for transforming yourself into a human zebra? Discovering that your fake tan does in fact look incrediblyfake—complete with streaks and smudges—is a modern day beauty disaster. And major disappointment. I’ll be the first to admit that it has happened to me on more than one occasion. So what’s a girl to do? Simple. Mix together freshly squeezed lemon juice with a few teaspoons of baking soda until the powder becomes a paste (not liquid). Then take a shower and exfoliate areas of extreme streakiness using the lemon-powder mixture until the unwanted tan disappears.


Baking soda is a fantastic exfoliate. It’s nonabrasive and leaves your skin feeling incredibly smooth. (Trust me, try using it on your face mixed with a few drops of water instead of lemon and you’ll never spend a fortune on expensive exfoliating scrubs again.) Lemon juice is naturally acidic and it acts like a mellow form of bleach; it works to remove unwanted colour. When baking soda is mixed with lemon juice, the results are amazing.


The next time you find yourself with a less-than-stellar faux tan, turn to your fridge :-)


Have another Beauty Faux Pas dilemma? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to cover it in an upcoming post.

Saskia XO

Lovely Liberations: Pink Grapefruit Margarita!

Happy Monday love bugs!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week, I thought I'd start Monday off on a summer step!


Blame it on my mother, but I am a huge fan of margaritas—especially the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Pink Grapefruit Margaritas from her cookbook, How Easy Is That. Honestly, it’s everything you could ever ask for in a good marg: refreshing, not too sweet, and relatively easy to make (and drink).

As another scorcher takes it's toll across London, for those of you who are planning a summer barbeque or simply a night in with friends, this is a must-serve cocktail. But, if alcohol isn’t for you, just swap out the liquour for sparkling water or Sprite. It’s just as delicious!

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas
Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?

Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup triple sec orange liqueur
• 3 cups ice
• 1 cup silver tequila
• 1 lime cut into wedges 
• Kosher salt

What’s your favourite summertime sip?

Saskia XO

Life's Little Luxuries...

They say life is about the small stuff, and I couldn’t agree more. Whether that means finding a pretty flower in your garden, singing in the car all by yourself, or finding one last quarter at the bottom of your purse when you’re parking at a meter—it really is all about the little things. In light of these moments, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my top 10 favoUrite little extravagancies to relish in… 

Breakfast in bed. I get in the habit of setting my alarm clock every day of the week so that I can wake up early and be productive. But once it a while it’s nice to turn off my alarm and spend the morning curled up enjoying a little bite in bed.



Pouring lavender oil into a bubble bath. I love lighting candles and soaking in a steamy hot bath when I’m feeling stressed or tense—adding a sweet smelling oil like lavender or jasmine can make this little luxury even more delightful.



Stocking up on luxurious travel-sized goodies. These tiny beauty treasures are the perfect inexpensive additions to any packing list, especially if you love using quality, compact-sized products for traveling. It’s a little dose of luxury in 3 ounces or less!



Getting lost in a great new novel (and ignoring my phone). I’ve always thought that no movie or TV show—no matter how great—can compare to a beautifully written story. There’s nothing quite like spending an afternoon enthralled in a fabulous book.



Snuggling in bed with nowhere to go. Starting my morning off on asnuggly note always predicts a great day to come!



Treating myself to just one petite sweet on Fridays. When the last day of the week rolls around, I like to reward myself with a tiny confection or something small that I wouldn’t normally indulge in during the week.



Getting my coffee “for here” and not “to go.” There’s something calming (and oh-so-European) about taking a rushed daily ritual and transforming it into a relaxed moment of reflection.



Indulging in an at-home facial. Too often we don’t realise how easy it is to pamper ourselves. I like to do a facial every three months or so to keep my skin happy. Why not brighten up your complexion in no time with LC's easy 5-step facial.

Buying fresh cut flowers. Flowers are one of those things that are totally unnecessary but so lovely to enjoy. They just make me happy. Whenever possible, I love to buy freshly cut peonies or roses and keep them at my bedside, on my desk and in my kitchen.



Celebrating even the smallest happy moments. After all, what good are little pleasantries if we don’t take the time to celebrate them?

What are your favourite little luxuries? 

Saskia XO